Power-operated clothes wringer



July 17, 1928.

J. T. HUME POWER OPERATED CLOTHES WRINGER July 17, 192s.

J. T. HUME POWER OPERATED CLOTHES WRINGER Filed Nov. 2. 1922 5 sheets-sneer 2 July 17, 1928.

.J. T. HUME POWER OPERATED CLOTHES WRINGER Filed Nov. 2. 1922 5 Sheets5heet 3.

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J. T. HUME rowsa OPERATED CLOTHES wRINGEn Filed Nov. 2. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet @www WLM Patented July 1.7, 1928.*

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. HUME, E IIIciiGo, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To

ELECTRIC HoUsEHoLD.UTII.ITIEs ooRPoRATIoN, 0E CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, A co3.-

PORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

POWER-OPERATED, CLOTHES WBINGEB.

Application led November 2, 1922. Serial No. 598,516.

My invention relates to clothes wringers of the power operated type usually employed in connection with washing machines and mounted to swing about a vertical axis, to be positioned in various angular relations to the frame of the washing machine, on which the wringer is supported. j

Such wringe'rs are usually provided with clutch-mechanism for three-position movement, from a central neutral position in which the wringer rolls are free from the1 driving shaft or power shaft, to two eX- treme positions in which respectively the wringer 'is connected to be driven in opposite directions from `the power shaft. Also such wringers are usually provided with roll-release mechanism such that, in emergency, or when not in use, the rolls may be freed for complete separation instead of being maintained in spring-pressed contact with cach other or the intervening clothing.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide novel and advantageous wringer-positioning means; a lfurther object of my 1nvention is to provide desirable clutch controlling means; a further object of my invention is to provide effective and reliable roll-pressure-releasing means; and still other objects of my invention are to provide combinative relations between these structures facilitating the ease of and securing increased safety of operation of the wringer. A still further object of my invention is to provide, in combination with the manual r control devices of the wringer a movable drip-board construction, automatically operatable always to present itself in position appropriate for most effective action in accordance with the direction of passage of clothing through the reversible wringer, and additional objects of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the artfrom the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings. In such drawings I have illustrated only a single embodiment of my invention for purposes of full disclosure, but it willlbe understood that many changes in detail may be made from those preferred constructions 50 illustrated without departure from the spirit ,of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an end elevation, with parts broken away, of a washing machine equipped with a. power driven wringer according to my invention; Fig. 2. is a vertical section, with parts in elevation through the wringer parallel with its front face Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 o f Fig. 2; Figs. 4 and 5 are horizontal sections on lines 4--4 and 5--5 of Fig. 3 looking in the directions of the respective arrows; Fig. 6 is a plan view of the reversing gearing with the cap of the head removed;y

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 7--7 of Fig. 6 Fig. 8 is a plan view of the wringer and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through thewringer frame just above. the drain board, as on line 94 of Fig. 7.)

A suitable frame (which may be a washing machine frame) supports a.' motor 21 that gear drives a shaft 22 that extends up through a housing 23 to resent a vertical end portion of the sha t through .the flared end 2.4 of the housing-standard, the upper margin of which is provided with a cup-flange 25 so as interiorly to provide a stationary clutch-drum 26. Into the standard ts the tapered neck 28 of the gearinghead or casing 29 on which is mounted the frame of the wringer 30, such neck 28 making anend-wise-detachable-t in the flare of the standard and leaving free -the clutchchamber 30 of annular form. The'head 29 extends out over this chamber in which there is located an expansion friction-clutch 31 adapted, when expanded, to gri' the head firmly to the drum 26 of the stan ard. One

specific construction that I deem advantageous and desirable provides the stated clutch- .the entire wringer mechanism is lifted off of thestandard, a split ring or other elastic retaining band may encompass and be practically embedded in the clutch rin'g surface.

The operating wedges 34 are carried on or integral with operating rods 37 that extend vertically through guide bearings in the sidewalls of' the head 29 and are normally pressed upwardly by sprin s 38 engaging the shoulder. ends of the gui es 39 and operating against lthe under sides of end-buttons 40 which project through apertures in the 'ture 47, and by vtop and base' 41 of the control structure to be accessible for depression as by clutch-releasin rollers 42 carried by the rotatable contro structure to be described. It will be apparent that with this construction the head 29 e may be clamped to the standard 24 in any `position whatever of rotation about the axis of shaft 22, thus enabling the vwringer 30 to be positioned in an infinite number of radial positions exactly to suit the requirements of the user. This wringer structure 30 comprises end frame members 44 and 45 suitablyspaced as by the sheet-metal chan-A I v suitably composed of similar end pieces 57 57', mounted to beslid vertically with re- 59 in the plates 57, 57

l 'as spect to theinain frame, these sub-frame members 57, 57 supporting the `opposite en dsof a connecting bar`58 the extremities of which extend through receptive apertures Pressure is a plied to this bar, in the'speciic construction s own, through a link 60 connected with one end of a leverl 61 pivoted at 62 tothe top of the frame member 44, and at its o posite end arinbefore described operatable from above the I ranged to receive pressure rom a springdisposed in the operating cap of the gearcasing or head.

The control structure 65 involves a member rotatable by a handle 66, and the detail features of construction relating to the mounting of the roll-compression spring in association with thercontrol structure, the vprovision of clutch-operating stems as herehead-casting 29, and also the particular provisions for reversing gear operation and for drain-board reversal, hereafter to be described, are all such as to bring the performance of their respective functions within` the control of the single operating handle, so `that by a single movement of this handle the 'Swingin wringerv may be clutched to the standar against Swingin dis lacement, the relatively stationary sha o the wringer j maybe connected with the upright'shaft 22 to be rotated in either direction from the uni-directionally rotating vertical shaft, the drain-pan may be thrown to proper position according to the direction of drive of the wringer rolls, and the relatively movable wringer roll 55 may be put under spring tension. Relief of wringer-roll pressure, stoppage of the operation Aof the rolls and freeing of the wringer to swing labout its vcrtical axis may all be accomplished by a single reverse movement of handle 66.

In the .specic construction shown the handle projects from a ring 67 that surA rounds and is spaced from a vertical stein 68 to which said ring is rigidly secured as by pin 69. One end of the stem 68 extends downwardly through the base 41 of the control structure and has crank-pin provision 70 to work the wringer-reversing clutch. Its other end extends upwardly so that the turning of the stem by means of handle 66 may put the movable wringer-roll under spring tension. In'the convenient provision herein illustratedfor this purpose, stem 68 has near its-upper end a vertical slot 73 engaged b a cross pin 74 that is upwardly pressed by spring 75 which conveniently is arranged between an upper pressure-collar 76 and al lower adjustable collar 77 the latter being threaded, as at 78, into the central l aperture of the ring 67 above the pin" 69 and having at its top a flange 79 for finger or spanner adjustment. Desirably, this vertically arranged coil spring is enclosed in a shell 8l, seated in the adjusting collar 77,

Such shell also usefully serving the purpose of a guide over which there may vertically work a cap 82 that`is pivoted on, but. not

rotatable with respect to, the pressure applying lever 61. The extremitiesof pins 74 extend through vertical slots in the sides of shell 81 and, when the spring is fully expanded, enter notches in the base of the cap 82 which notches have oppositely beveled cam edges 83 under which the pins 74 must pass when the stem 68 is handle-turned in either direction from neutral position shown. Now it will be seen that when the handle is thus turned in either direction and pin 74 "forced to travel under one of the cam surfaces to reach the horizontal portion of the bottom edge of the cap 82, said pin -74 is forced down, carrying with it the presf sure-collar below it and putting the spring under tension, thereby to throw the relatively movable roll 55 of the wringer into engagement with the relatively stationary roll 53 with the desired amount of tension.

For the reversal of roll drive by means of the pin 70 before mentioned, such crank' pin is made to operate the shiftable element 85 of a clutch 84, which element is splined on a 'shaft section 86, suitably supported in the gearing-head 29, said shiftable member being adapted to engage with a clutch surface formed on, and thereby to engage for rotation, either of the gears 87 and 87 that are loosely mounted on the shaft 86 and both of which are driven in rotation, but oppositely .in direction, by the gear 90 on vertical shaft 22.- Shaft 86 is'connected to the wringer roll shaft 52 by a collar 91 engaging the squared ends of said shafts.

' rotatably mounted on the hea the fingers 97,

'beyond dead center of the range of travel I snap the handle back handle 66 is in neutral position, andthe expansion clutch iirmlyA positions said head against rotation when the wringer is in operation, the cross pin 69 may conveniently be used as a shaft Jfor the clutch-operating rollers 42 heretofore referred to, and these rollers are so positioned that when the handle is in neutral position they press upon the buttons 40 to lower the clutch-wedges 34 and release the clutch.

Further, in order that drain-board 93, tiltably mounted on the frame rod 49, shall always be rocked in direction appropriate to the directionof actionof the wringer roll, I provide on the edge of the ring structure a gear sector 94 cooperating with a gear sector 95 (Fig. 7 carried by the rin 96 that is -extension which carries the wringer, said ring 96 having two pendant lugs 97 to coact with a pin 98 carried by the drip-board above its point of pivotal support, such pin extending through a limitation slot 99 lformed in the frame member 44 of the wringer.. As the handle 66 is rocked about its vertical axis the gear sectors rock the ring 96 about its horizontal axis, and the appropriate one of traveling to a point slightly of pin 98, insures that the drain-board is tilted to a position consistent with the direction of rotation oi the wringer.

In the arrangement shown, when handle 66 is swung to either side of neutral position, the spring acting against cap 82 puts astrong tension on it tending to retain it in active position, but alight blow or pressure to move the handle back toward neutral position will bring pin 74 into engagement with the cam incline 83 of the cap, and the spring will accurately to neutral position. The reyersin gearing 'is preferably arranged so that t e handle is always thrown toward that side of the wringer from which the clothes will be fed `to the wringer, l

so that even should the operator get the iingers of both hands caught between the wringer rolls. a swing of the shoulder will strike the horizontally disposed handle and throw it back to neutral -position/ This is one of the advantages of arranging the liandle to project well beyond the gear head, and arranging it horizontally for rotation about a vertical axis,

although in its broader aspects my invention is not limited in this particular. I

It will be understood that while I have described in considerable detail a specific embodiment of my invention which I re ard as desirable and advantageous in speci c construction and some specific features of which I may claim for their especial advantage, many of the broader features hereinafter claimed lmay be embodied in constructions quite dissimilar in many details to that illustrated. f.

I claim:

1. The combination of a standard, a. frame mounted thereon to swing around a vertical axis, standard, a relatively fixed roll in the frame, and means for operatively connecting said drive shaft and roll to drive the latter in rotation about its fixed axis in the frame, said means including a clutch having a shiftable element; a relatively movable roll parallel to the first roll and vertically shiftabie in the frame, a lever pivoted in said :frame and having operative connections with said shiftable roll for moving the same toward said relatively stationary roll, one end of said lever extending into alignment with said stan.dard, a spring for acting on said portion of said lever to tension the movable roll, and a controlling handle coaxial with the power shaft having operative connections botli with said clutch member to shift the same to engaging and to neutral positions, .and with the spring to release the roll-tension when said clutch member is shifted to neutral position.

2. The combination of a standard having an upright portion, a head rotatable thereon, a frame carried by said head, a power shaft in'said standard, adriven roll rotatable in said frame, shiftable clutch mechanism in said head for operatively engaging or disengaging said roll and said power shaft, a

a drive shaft extending through theies vertically movable roll in said frame, a lever p ivoted in said frame and at one end operatively related to said roll to move the same toward the .driven roll and at its other end extending over said head, a spring to act on the last said end of said lever, shiftable lever or releasing said. lever from tension,'a handle for operating said shiftable means, and clutch shifting means operatively connected with said handle for movement 'of said clutch to disengaging position when the .spring tension is released.

forth. in claim .2,

3. structure'as set wherein said handle is horizontally oscillatvmeans for applying spring tension to said l 'able above said head and-is provided with an upright stein having at one endi provision erating said shiftable -tion operatively engaging said said head for operatively engaging or disengaging saidroll and said power shaft, a vertically movable roll in said frame, a lever pivoted in said frame and at. one end operatively related to said roll to move the same toward the driven roll and at its other end extending over said head, a spring to act on the last-named end of said lever, sbiftable means for applying spring tension to said lever or releasing said lever from tension, a horizontally movable handle for opmeans, a. vertically extending stem attached to said handle and having means at the lower end thereof for shifting said clutch mechanism, a pin carried by said stem at its upper end and having connection with the upper end of said spring, and a member having a cam surface carried by said lever for engagement by said pin on the side thereof opposite said spring for 'effecting the compression of said spring when said handle is shifted.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 4, wherin a shell interposed between said handle and said cam surface member encloses said spring and guides said. cam surface member.

' 6. In combination, a vertically disposed power shaft, a wringer having horizontally disposed rolls, reversing'gearing for operatively connecting vone of said rolls to be driven in either direction from said power shaft and including a shiftable reversing clutchl elementl arranged coaxially with a Wringer roll shaft, an oppositely tiltable drain pan below the Wringer rolls, a drain pan tilting ring mounted coaxially with one of the wringer rolls and having a gear sector, and an oseillatable handle having a gear -portion connected with said gear sector of'said ring and having also a clutch-shifting` porshiftable clutch member, whereby said handle may shift, in unison, said clutch member to reverse the direction of roll drive and said ring member accordantly to reverse the position of the drain board.v

7. The combination of a wringer in" relatively rotatable rolls, one of said rolls being movable toward and from the other, a driving shaft, gearing mechanism for connecting said driving shaft with one comprisof said rolls, a clutch member for reversing l"said gearing mechanism,

an operating handle for actuating said clutch member, means ing 'cluding resilient mechanism actuated b v the shifting of sai-d handle for effecting relative movement of said rolls toward and from each other, a drain pan mounted beneath said rolls, and operating connections actuated by said shiftingof said handle for tilt-v ing said drain pan simultaneously with; the

actuation of said clutch member.

8. In combination, a' standard, a head rotatably mounted thereon, a wringer having gearing interposed between its frame carried on said head for rotation of the wringer about the axis of said standard, a split friction ring, an annular flange carried by said standard and engaging said friction ring, means carried by said head and engaging said split friction ring for preventing relative rotation of said ring and said head, tapered expanding vpins extending between the ends of the parts of said split ring, vertically extending stems attached to said tapered pins and extending vertically through said head, a rotatable operating member, and means carried by said operating member for actuating said stems in one position of said operating member and thereby depressing said tapered pins to release said split friction ring.

9. The combination of a standard, a head rotatable thereon, a wringer laterally extending from said head and having a relatively fixed roll and a relatively movable roll, releasable tension means for pressing said movable roll toward the relatively fixed roll comprising a spring and cam-means for tensioning said spring, a handle for 'operating said cam spring-tensioning means, and returnable to releasing position by cooperation of said cam and friction clutch interposed between said head and the standard, and spring-operated means for causing engagement of said friction clutch; operatively associated with said handle for freeing said clutch only when said handle is in position to release the wringer rolls from spring-tension.

10.1Inv a swinging wringer control structure, the combination of a standard, a wringer pivotally mounted thereon for rotation about a having a driven roll and a relatively shiftable roll to be tensioned in operation, a power shaft in said standard, reversing said power shaft and said driven roll, operating means 'for said reversing gearing, wringer-positioningy means to look the wringer against rotation in the'standard, operating means therefor, releasable tensioning means for the Wringer roll to be tensioned, operating means for releasing said tension, and a single handle controlling the operating means for 'the Wringer release, for the wiinger positioning means and for the wringer reversing means.

11. In combination, a clothes wringer comprising relatively` rotatable Tolls. one 'of vertical axis, said wringer' said spring-action, a

. simultaneously said rolls for rotating said rolls, a clutch member included' in tions, means operated by the shifting of said handle from said neutral position for operating said clutch member, a drain pan mounted beneath said rolls, operative connections from said handle lto said drain pan for effectingv the tilting of 'said drain pan with the operation of said clutch member 'upon movement of said handle from said neutral position,- and means actuated by themovement of said handle from said neutral position for moving said rolls into engagement with each other.

12. In apparatus of the character del scribed, the combination of an open-ended standard having a friction drum at its open end, a head rotatably carried by said standardand having a part extending intothe open end thereof,'a friction member'mount-v ed in said drum between said standard and said head part, and means Acarried by said head and operatively connected to'said mem# ber for moving said member to positively engage said drum to hold said head in any rotative position relative to said standard.

said driving connecand having parts cooperating with its open' end portion for effecting aligned movement in all rotative positions of the head, an expansiblev element engaging said friction drum, and head-carried operating means including vertically reciprocable wedge elements for moving said expansible element into frictional engagement with said drum.

14.1n apparatus of the character described, the combination of an vopen-ended standard formed with an internal friction surface. at its open end, a head rotatably carried upon said standard and having an annular part extending into the open end of the same and spaced from said friction surface, a split friction ring, in said space between Said standard and annular part,

'and means on said head and operatively connected to said split friction ring for spreading the sections of said ring apart to engage said friction surface and lock said head in any rotative position upon said standard.

JOHN r HUME. 

